Short/Eventful Week

Well I will be taking another trip with the wrestling team today, so I better post this while I get the chance. I was in Iowa Wednesday and now it’s a four and a half hour trip up to Wisconsin today. All this traveling has given me a lot of time to think about our progress so far this year, and I must say I am very proud of all the students in 5J. As reflected during parent teacher conferences, we have been working hard each and every day. Even though we had a short week, it has been very eventful, and the student in 5J have really stepped it up to meet the demanding expectations. Keep up the great work!

Given that we had a short week, we are taking two weeks on the story in the Harcourt series. Summer of Fire focuses a lot on the different types of text aids students can find while reading nonfiction. There are all sorts of charts, graphics, and word-related aids that help the reader comprehend the text. As I mentioned in the last blog, as time goes on, students will need to get better and better at comprehending nonfiction texts. In middle school, high school, and especially college, a lot of the learning comes directly from reading nonfiction texts. This is especially true in Social Studies, Science, and Math textbooks. If you take advantage of those text aids, you will experience much more success. Therefore, we are spending extra time on this concept and delving deeper into the types of text aids we may encounter, and exactly how to interpret the different varieties. The test will be Friday, so be ready. It is also important to mention that the tests will start being worth more points than what they were in 1st quarter, so make sure you are reading the story Thursdays, studying, and using the links on the blog.

In Writing, we have spent the last few weeks revising our memoirs. I know I have been saying this a lot, but I can’t emphasize enough the importance of the revising step. This is where authors get the chance to go back and focus on elaboration, word choice, and other vital components of the writing piece. If I look at a draft and there are marks all over it (words circled, things crossed off, writing in the spaces and margins, arrows pointing everywhere), then I know the writer revised how they should. I really shouldn’t be able to follow or read your draft. Although we spent a lot of time on revising for memoir, we will not be doing that for other pieces, so be ready to do it right the first time in later Writing units. Next week we will be editing and publishing our final drafts of the memoir. I am very excited to see how the memoirs have evolved from the 1st draft to the final.

The short week has made it difficult to get a whole lot done in Science, but we did it. Everything I had planned was accomplished, and that is all due to the hard work of the students in 5J. We followed up on our experiment with lenses and discussed the different uses for them. Now we get to do some experimenting with onions and figure out what we are looking at, and how it is related to all other living things. I would also like to thank all the students (and parents) who brought in an onion for these activities. I really appreciate your help.

Outside of the academic realm, I need to apologize for my mistake on last week’s blog. I know I said the NCC Wrestling season-opener was on Wednesday the 11th, but it is actually the 18th. The invitation that Kelli Diaz printed for everyone is correct. I guess it was just a late night in Iowa and I wasn’t thinking straight when I updated the blog. Hopefully no one went to NCC on Wednesday night. Either way, I hope some of you are able to make it out on the 18th to see my team go to work. I have been coaching there for 2 years, and I graduated from there, so NCC is like my second home (Brooks being my first of course). However, make sure all your homework and studying is done first. You know the policy “school first,” and I don’t want anyone coming in Thursday unprepared because they went to the meet the night before.

I would like to thank all the parents and students who made it to parent teacher conferences. I know some had things come up, and that’s totally understandable. I will be sure to reschedule with you. However, I would like to ask another favor of the 5J parents. We are participating in the Holiday Store at Brooks. 5th grade has been asked to bring in wrapping supplies for that store. Also, we have a food drive next week. 5J would love to be the class with the most donations, so we could use everyone’s help. I know we ask a lot of parents, and I really appreciate all your support and hard work. I can’t thank you enough. I hope everyone enjoyed their time off of school. I know it was a short and eventful week, so good job 5J for stepping it up and getting a lot accomplished. I look forward to another successful week coming up.

Celebrations!!!
-100% on Microscope Test
Avarie, Nathan, Hannah C., Jack, Arushi, Kevin, Megan, Max, Nick, Landon, Gabby, Ally, Victoria, Matthew R., & Lanie
-100% on Everglades
Brenna, Megan, Matthew R., Victoria,
-100% on Unit 12 Spelling Test
Kara, Nathan Victoria, Hannah C., Hannah F., Gabby, Lanie, Julia, Landon, Matthew R., Kevin, Cooper & Avarie
-Nathan completed Otter Creek Multiplication!
-Hannah F. & Matthew R. read over 200 minutes last week!